Mr Majestyk (1974) Read Online Free PDF

floor.
    The two Chicanos and the black guy were poised over their trays, eyes raised , but watching only for a moment before looking down again and continuing to eat.
    "You're not going to eat it," Majestyk said, "then nobody does, uh?"
    The dark-haired guy was lighting a fresh cigarette from the butt of another, th e p ack still in his hand.
    He said, "You want it? Help yourself."
    "I guess not," Majestyk said. He looked at the guy as he put the pack o f c igarettes in his coat pocket. "You got an extra one of those?"
    The guy didn't say anything. He drew on his cigarette and blew the smoke ou t s lowly.
    "I'll pay you back when I get out," Majestyk said. "How'll that be?"
    The guy turned now to look at him, and another voice said, "Hey, you want a s moke?"
    The black guy was holding up a cigarette package that was almost flat.
    Majestyk put his tray on the bench and walked over to him. They both took on e a nd Majestyk sat down next to the black guy to get a light.
    "Man, don't you know who that is?"
    "Some movie star?"
    "That's Frank Renda." The black guy kept his voice low, barely moving his mouth.
    "He looks like an accordian player," Majestyk said, "used to be on TV."
    "Jesus Christ, I said Frank Renda."
    "I don't know--I might've heard of him."
    "He's in the rackets. Was a hit man. You know what I'm saying to you? He shoot s p eople, with a gun."
    "But they caught him, huh?"
    "Been trying to for a long time," the black guy said. "Other night this off-dut y c op pulls up in front of a bar, some place up on the highway. He sees a man com e o ut. Sees Renda get out of his car, walk up to the man, and bust him five time s w ith a thirty-eight."
    "Why didn't the cop shoot him?"
    "Didn't have to. Renda's gun's empty."
    "He doesn't sound too bright. Pulling a dumb thing like that."
    "They say he wanted the man bad, couldn't wait."
    Majestyk was studying Renda. Maybe he was dumb, but he looked cool, patient , like somebody who moved slowly, without wasted effort. He didn't look like a n a ccordian player now. He looked like some of the guys he had seen in prison, at Folsom. Mean, confident, hard-nosed guys who would give you that look no matte r w hat you said to them. Like who the fuck are you? Don't waste my time. How di d g uys get like that? Always on the muscle.
    "They got him this time," the black guy said. "Gonna nail his ass fo r n inety-nine years--you ask him is he gonna eat his sausage."
    Because of Renda they brought the five prisoners out the back way to the parkin g a rea, where the gray county bus and the squad cars were waiting. Get them ou t q uick, without attracting a lot of attention. But a crowd of local people ha d a lready gathered, along with the reporters and TV newsmen who had been in Edn a t he past two days and were ready for them. A cameraman with a shoulder-mounte d r ig began shooting as soon as the door opened and the deputies began to brin g t hem out in single file, the two Chicanos first, startled by the camera and th e p eople watching, then the black guy. They held up Renda and Majestyk in th e h allway inside the door, to handcuff them because they were felons. A deput y t old them to put their hands behind their backs; but the deputy named Ritchi e t old him to cuff them in front--it was a long ride, let them sit back and enjo y i t.
    When Renda appeared, between two deputies, the TV camera held on him, pannin g w ith him to the bus, and a newsman tried to get in close, extending a hand mike.
    "Frank, over here. What do you think your chances are? They got a case agains t y ou or not?"
    Renda held his head low, turned away from the camera. A deputy stuck out hi s h and, pushing the mike away, and two more deputies moved in quickly, from th e s teps by the rear door, to stand in the newsman's way and restrain him if the y h ad to. This left Majestyk alone at the top of the steps. He watched them put Renda aboard the bus. Four, five deputies standing now with their backs to him.
    He watched